Monday, June 30, 2008

A New Method of Breed ID

Being immersed in rescue I receive dozens of emails every day. Some of the emails infuriate me. Some cause me to shake my head in disbelief. Some I find to be heartbreaking, and on the rare occasion, some turn out to be hysterical. I would like to share one of the more recent stories that left me laughing for days.

I received the original email, it was from a girl asking for help in trying to keep her pit bull mix. She had moved into an apartment which had breed restrictions. Before signing the lease, the landlord had to see a picture of the dog. A picture was provided, it was determined that the dog would be allowed, so the girl moved in to her new apartment. Some time later, a repair needed to be made and the maintenance man entered the apartment. The maintenance man reported back to the property manager that there was a pit bull living in the residence. A couple of days later the girl receives notice that the dog needs to leave or she would be evicted. At this time, the girl contacted me for help. I advised her to get a letter from a vet stating the dog's breed, as well as consider DNA testing.

A few weeks later the girl emailed me again. She thanked me for my help and informed me that the dog was going to be allowed to stay. The girl contacted the apartment manager and wanted the manager to meet her dog. She took the dog down to the office. The apartment manager looked at the dog and stated that the dog didn't look like a full pit bull but it could be a mix. The manager then asked the girl to bring the dog closer. The girl complied. The apartment manager reached down and grabbed the dogs muzzle, opening and closing the jaws a couple of times. The manager then stood back up and proclaimed "This dog can stay. It is not a pit bull. It doesn't have locking jaws."

*Ways to help sheltered and rescued pit bulls:

1. Volunteer to help local spay/neuter efforts.2. Supply hand-outs to help educate the public about pit bulls.3. Volunteer to help update a shelter's website.4. Donate a Karunda bed so dogs can sleep better.5. Donate tuff toys like large kong balls.6. Volunteer to walk dogs that are waiting for homes. *copied with permission from badrap-blog.blogspot.com